The present invention is directed to an improved sealing system which utilizes a clamp-type compression member for sealing a longitudinally extending opening of a longitudinally divided cable fitting of a heat shrinkable or contractable material.
In order to fit a shrinkable sleeve component which includes sleeve heads, sleeve tubes or sleeve collars on an uncut cable, the sleeve component must have a longitudinally extending opening which is sealed tight at its joint faces or surfaces with the aid of a gripping or compression member and an adhesive which is normally a thermoplastic adhesive which will utilize the heat occurring during the shrinking process following installation. In the case of shrink collars and sleeve heads, the sealing surfaces themselves or only the overlapping sealing surfaces are coated with a thermoplastic adhesive and the clamp tight compression members are pushed over the sealing elements which are formed by bead portions that extend next to the sealing surfaces. Known compression members are formed of strips of metal and have the shape of either a C-shaped cross-section such as disclosed in German OS No. 15 25 815 or a U-shaped cross-section as disclosed in German Gebrauchmuster No. 74 23 507. With relatively rigid compression members, a loose fit is provided between the bead portions of the shrink-on part and compression member. Although this means that the clamp-type compression member can be fitted easily, the adhesive is not compressed sufficiently during contraction and in some cases large gaps will occur between the sealing surfaces which cannot always be completely filled with the adhesive. In the case of overlapping joint faces in which no adhesive is used, an excessively loose fit between the clamping element and the bead portions is very disadvantageous because the bead portions may easily slip out of the clamping element during the contraction of the device. Although it is possible to alleviate this disadvantage by means of a spring loaded compression element or member, the necessary pretensioning of the compression member or element makes it difficult to assemble it onto the bead portions.